The US Defense Secretary is a refreshing figure in the Bush administration. A recent op-ed by David Ignatius in the Washington Post commends Gates very highly, and rightly so.
"He is still firing on all cylinders, working to repair the damage done at the Pentagon by his arrogant and aloof predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld. Gates has restored accountability in the military services by firing the secretaries of the Army and Air Force when they failed to respond forthrightly to problems. And he has been an early and persuasive internal administration critic of U.S. military action against Iran."
And this morning, Gates proposed a noble plan to resucitate the mission in Afghanistan. $20 billion for a three-year project to double the size of the Afghan army is commendable, as is the restructuring of command. Gates wants all but a few US troops to be under NATO command. At present they are split roughly between NATO and Operation Enduring Freedom, an obvious strategic stumbling block. Gates also wants more troops, but they won't be available in the short term.
What is missing is a strong stance on the poppy problem. Thomas Schneider, a former Pentagon official, in The New York Times Magazine, courageously and cogently argues for aerial eradication of poppy-crop.
In any case, the debate on Afghanistan seems to be converging to a coherent line between the current administration and the next. Everyone seems enthusiastic to redouble efforts in the "good war." And that is very good.
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